I like how this chapter points out both the major pros and the serious cons to being involved on social media, discussing how while we seem to be "connecting", we're simultaneously disconnecting. Nowadays especially, this issue revolves mainly around our smart phones. We're putting ourselves and our creation out there for our online "friends" to experience, but at what cost to the friends there with us in person?
This is an important question to ask of ourselves and of others. How many of us put our smart phones away when we get together with a friend? When we're at the dinner table? When we're having a conversation? For most of us, that's probably a difficult question to ask, because deep down, we know that we probably spend a little too much time on those devices than we should. But how much is too much? At what point does editing that Instagram photo become a genuine distraction from the life going on around us?
I've personally witnessed both ends of the spectrum: people that can't seem to keep their phones down, insisting that whatever they're doing is necessary and urgent, and people who take a passing glance at their phones whenever they happen to think of it. Both can be annoying in their own ways. At what point do we become obsessive? At what point do we become negligent to those who may be trying to connect with us? There has to be a way that we can use our smart phones and/or engage in social media in moderation. But what would that look like?
I'm looking forward to delving into the different ways that social media have changed human relationships, improved them and posed challenges to them through the rest of "Personal Connections in the Digital Age", and hopefully coming closer to answering that question.
I agree with your thoughts on connecting to the greater world but at the cost of disconnecting to those who are immediately around you. I definitely feel pressure to be in constant contact with my friends and always available to give a timely response to both text messages and emails. Juggling every type of communication that is expected can feel overwhelming at times.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on connecting while simultaneously disconnecting are compelling. Several times have I and my friends agreed to avoid our phones for a night when we spend time together and even though I am with friends, I still feel like I am missing out on something, whether it is just texts or something on social media. There is pressure to constantly be connected both presently and online.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with your perspective on social media preventing people from engaging in the presence. The perceived pressure people feel to share and document there experiences with friends and strangers alike must get in the way of a persons ability to fully appreciate whatever activity they are engaging in.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, finding the balance of what is too much and perfectly okay in the usage of technology is are hard line to draw. This technology has become a part of our everyday lives and it is hard to recognize and address what the positives and negatives of that truly is.
ReplyDeleteI guess that I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to technology. I am definitely one of the people that you mentioned that is always on their phone or laptop, no matter the setting. I know it is a bad habit, one that I have tried to break, but sometimes I do feel as though society perpetuates the need to constantly be connected. One example would be college. We are constantly being told to check our emails or look on canvas or a similar site for updates on school work. Offices often give employees smart phones or tablets to use in work. Social media is now a specific job that people are hired to do. I think that while digital communication is a fantastic resource, it is one that we too often exploit.
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your thoughts and totally agree with what you had to say. It's interesting to think about the media and technology in our lives and how it really does affect our relationships with each other. Your point about editing an Instagram really stood out to me because there have been so many times where I've been in beautiful places or moments and have worried about snapping the perfect picture to upload.
DeleteClaire, you provoked so many terrific comments with your post. You address "both ends of the spectrum" and the interest in understanding moderation. What are the advantages that we can take from these tools to help us grow as individuals and communities and what are the disadvantages that we can learn to control? We will dive further in to these questions in the upcoming classes. It sounds like what both you and the folks who commented on your post are discussing is balance. Great post.
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